–AFC youth leaders resign, say party failed to create space for inclusion
–cite disrespectful, homophobic behaviour

AFTER what he described as a period of deep reflection and growing discontent with the Alliance For Change’s (AFC) current trajectory, youth member Onix Duncan has resigned from the party.

He submitted his resignation to the AFC’s General Secretary Raphael Trotman and President of the Youth For Change, LeShante Marks.

The AFC has been haemorrhaging members, as persons continue to reject the current leadership and philosophy of the party.

In his resignation letter, Duncan said: “The leadership has failed to create a space of genuine inclusion and internal engagement, particularly following the creation of a faction/group called “Better Must Come”; this failure is an opportunity squandered for broader unity and reform.”

He said too: “Additionally, the continued tolerance of disrespectful and homophobic behaviour towards members that has been tolerated from the inception of this leadership amidst my continued calls for a Disciplinary Action Committee to be set up and a leadership style that invites indecision and disorder by allowing everyone to speak while no one leads, has further eroded the party’s credibility and effectiveness.”

Duncan, who was a consistent advocate for the party, said: “These are not the principles I joined to uphold. I remain committed to a political culture rooted in accountability, discipline and justice, values the AFC once championed but now struggles to embody.”

Expressing similar sentiments was the former President of and Current Adviser to the Youth For Change, Dillon A Mohamed, who has also tendered his resignation to the leadership of the party.

He cited an ‘uproar of homophobic sentiments’ meted out to him as the first openly LGBTQ youth politician in Guyana under the AFC.

Mohammed had served nearly seven years as a political activist.
“The issue of discrimination, although secondary to the political and socio-economic needs of the people of Guyana, has all but added to my decision today. I want it to be clear that my support for the leader Mr Nigel Hughes was largely based on his progressive policies on law, infrastructure, human rights and social development. However, most of the persons verbally attacking pro-coalition members on our chat forums constantly resort to racist, sexist, homophobic, and xenophobic [abuse], an occurrence that stands in stark contrast to what the leaders say they stand for and that received no reprimand from any of the leaders, despite complaints being penned to the leadership,” Mohammed wrote in a letter seen by this publication.

He noted that this, coupled with AFC leaders sidelining youth after gaining power in 2015, lead to disillusionment and youth exodus.

The young politician described a “creeping anti-coalition dictatorship” that defied the grassroots consensus.

“I began to realise that some of [the] leaders didn’t care about the plight of the people as much as they cared about their own ascent to power, using the party as their means,” he said, adding: “The people of Guyana and the world at large need leaders who care about them.”

He believes that the party has now evolved into a “hijacked, creeping anti-coalition dictatorship” and as such is losing much support.

“This conundrum is of no good to the people of Guyana and is certainly not something I wish to be a part of.”

On Monday, AFC defector, former party Vice-Chairman and Member of Parliament, Deonarine “Ricky” Ramsaroop, bluntly questioned whether the AFC could lead Guyana, given their disregard for their own constitution.

He wrote in a comment under an online news report: “If they can breach their own constitution, what will they do with [the] Guyana constitution?”

The damning indictment from the party’s former Vice-Chairman raised further questions about the AFC’s credibility.

The AFC has expelled three of its members and sitting opposition coalition parliamentarians, Ramsaroop, Sherod Duncan and Juretha Fernandes for joining the APNU.

In addition to the membership woes, AFC Leader Nigel Hughes recently came under scrutiny after a woman accused him and, by extension the AFC, of using her intellectual property.

The woman, Nakisha Sinclair, in a series of Facebook posts accused the AFC of publishing and promoting several proposals and ideas without her permission, credit, or compensation, as part of the party’s election campaign.

Sinclair shared detailed screenshots of messages and call logs in which she accused Hughes and other executives of failing to credit and compensate her for work done in crafting education, youth, environment, and sport policies.